MARIJUANA NOT LIKE OTHER DRUGS

Anne Greff's letter ("No to legalization," Jan. 12) would have been
more convincing if her letter dealt with marijuana. Instead, she
talked about "other drugs" and opium; she did not discuss marijuana,
and that is what Proposition 19 is concerned with.

The letter spoke about "some countries that have legalized drugs" and
brought up China and opium. The Chinese were quite literally forced
to buy and use opium produced by British mercantilists, who had heavy
investments in opium. The Chinese did not want opium. Nor does
Proposition 19 have anything to do with opium; it deals with
marijuana for industrial and recreational purposes.

If you want to look at a society that has legalized marijuana, take a
look at one of the happiest, most productive, most intelligent and
healthiest people in the world - the Dutch.

Marijuana is not as addictive as caffeine, studies have not been able
to show occasional (or regular) use of grass negatively affects
health, and marijuana is not meth, cocaine, heroin, opium, alcohol,
nicotine, or any other drug -- it is marijuana.

Wesley Halvorsen, Syracuse